SUBJECT:

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

 

 

TOPIC:

Address and Telephone Number

 

 

SOURCE:

Association for Japanese-Language Teaching (1994) Japanese for Busy People I (Revised Edition) Lesson 2

 

 

DATE:   

20 Jan 2003

 

 

 

 

LESSON DIALOGUE

 

Mr. Tanaka gives Mr. Smith his business card. Mr. Smith cannot read kanji.

 

Tanaka:

Watashi no meishi desu. Dōzo.

Sumisu:

Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu. Kore wa Tanaka-san no namae desu ka.

Tanaka:

Ee, sō desu. TA-NA-KA desu.

Sumisu:

Kore wa?

Tanaka:

Kaisha no namae desu. TŌ-KYŌ DEN-KI desu.

Sumisu:

Kore wa kaisha no denwa-bangō desu ka.

Tanaka:

Hai, kaisha no desu. Zero-san no san-yon-zero-zero no kyū-zero-san-ichi desu. Uchi no denwa-bangō wa zero-yon-go no san-ni-roku no hachi-hachi-nana-ichi desu.

 

Translation

 

Tanaka:

This is my business card. Please…

Sumisu:

Thank you very much. Is this (your) name?

Tanaka:

Yes. That’s right. Tanaka.

Sumisu:

And this?

Tanaka:

(That’s) the name of my company, Tokyo Electric.

Sumisu:

Is this the company’s telephone number?

Tanaka:

Yes, it’s the company’s. (03) 3400-9031. (My) home telephone number is (045) 326-8871.

 

Vocabulary

 

watashi no

meishi

dōzo

dōmo arigatō gozaimasu

kore

namae

ee

sō desu

kore wa?

kaisha

denwa

bangō    

uchi

my

business card

please

thank you very much (very polite)

this

name

yes (colloquial)

that’s right

as for this?

company

telephone

number

home

 

 

 

NOTES

 

1.                    Japanese, particularly those in business, carry business cards or MEISHI which they exchange during introductions.

2.                    Although addressing Mr. Tanaka, Mr. Smith uses his name rather than saying anata no, “your” in “Kore wa Tanaka-san no namae desu ka.”

3.                    EE is less formal than HAI.

4.                    When replying to questions that end with DESU KA, SŌ can be used instead of repeating the noun.

5.                    A rising intonation on the particle WA in KORE WA? Makes this informal phrase a question without using the question marker KA.

6.                    “Kaisha no desu” is short for “kaisha no denwa-bangō desu”. This sort of abbreviated expression is often used in Japanese.

7.                    In telephone numbers, the area code, exchange and the number are joined by the particle NO. In telephone numbers, 0 is often pronounced ZERO in Japanese.

8.                    “What” is NANI, but it often becomes NAN, as in KORE WA NAN DESU KA. “What is this?”

9.                    NAN-BAN refers to “what number”?

 

 

USEFUL VOCABULARY

 

zero/ron

ichi

ni

san

shi/yon

go

roku

shichi/nana

hachi

kyū

jū

jūichi

jūni

jūsan

jūshi/ jūyon

jūgo

jūroku

jūshichi/ jūnana

jūhachi

jūkyū

ni jū

dare no

kore

nan

 

denwa

keitai-denwa

uchi

bangō

gakkō

jūsho

namae

 

borupen

empitsu

hon

kaban

kagi

kasa

keki

kōhii

kuruma

meishi    

(o)-cha

shimbun

tento

teribi

tokei

toushita

 

dōmo

domō arigatō

domō arigatō gozaimasu

 

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

whose

this

what

 

phone

mobile-phone

home

number

school

address

name

 

ballpen

pencil

book

bag

key

umbrella

cake

coffee

car

business card

tea

newspaper

tent

television

clock, watch

toaster

 

thank you (colloquial

thank you (formal)

thank you (very polite)


 

 

KEY SENTENCES

 

1.                    Kore wa meishi desu. “This is a business card.

2.                    Kore wa meishi dewa arimasen. “This is not a business card.”

3.                    Kore wa Tanaka-san no tokei desu. Kore wa Tanaka-san no desu. “This is Mr. Tanaka’s watch. This is Mr. Tanaka’s.”

4.                    Kaisha no denwa-bangō wa (03) 3400-9031 desu. “The company’s telephone number is (03) 3400-9031.

5.                    Iie, meishi dewa arimasen. Hon desu. “No, (this is not a) business card. (It is a) book.”

6.                    Kore wa nan desu ka. “What is this?”

 

SHORT DIALOGUES

 

Japanese Dialogue 1

 

Hayashi:

Kore wa Sumisu-san no tokei desu ka.

Tanaka:

Hai, Sumisu-san no tokei desu.

 

Translation

 

Hayashi:

Is this Mr. Smith’s watch?

Tanaka:

Yes, it’s Mr. Smith’s watch.

 

Japanese Dialogue 2

 

Hayashi:

Kore wa Sumisu-san no tokei desu ka.

Sumisu:

Hai, watashi no tokei desu.

 

Translation

 

Hayashi:

Is this your watch?

Smith:

Yes, it’s my watch.

 

Japanese Dialogue 3

 

Hayashi:

Kore wa Tanaka-san no hon desu ka.

Sumisu:

Iie, Tanaka-san no dewa arimasen. Watashi no desu.

 

Translation

 

Hayashi:

Is this Mr. Tanaka’s book?

Smith:

No, it’s not Mr. Tanaka’s. It’s mine.

 

Japanese Dialogue 4

 

Sumisu

Taishikan no denwa-bangō wa nan-ban desu ka.

Hisho:

3325-7634 desu.

Sumisu:

Ginkō no denwa-bangō wa?

Hisho:

3423-6502 desu.

 

Translation

 

Smith:

What is the telephone number of the embassy?

Hisho:

It’s 3325-7634.

Smith:

What about the telephone number of the bank?

Hisho:

It’s 3423-6502.